I Never Said They Were Wrong...

But I now have to declare they were so right.  If you sell work at galleries, shops, or even in your own electronic venue, unless the contract or other conditions dictate otherwise, you must have at least 10-12 items in each shop at all times.

I never doubted the wisdom of weavers or gallerists who know better and appreciated their gentle nudging and coaxing, but when the same pieces sit in these galleries month after month, when nothing sells for an awfully long time, it is hard to be motivated to make new things. I even felt I was burdening the galleries by bringing in more.  But it's not true.

Last Friday I delivered two pieces to the Refinery and sold one that afternoon.  The week before, I delivered half a dozen Log Cabin pieces to the Suter and they sold one on last Sunday.  It may be all a fluke, but I'm having good luck: my total number of pieces sold this tax year jumped up to.... five!  (I know.  Pathetic, but it's a fact.) 

From the point of view of a consumer, (and I am often a prospective one when I go to any of the galleries stocking my pieces,) seeing only few works by an artist, especially someone I like and have followed, make me wonder if s/he is no longer serious about selling, at least in the venue I am in, and instead is concentrating on some other outlet or new creative ventures.  When there are only a few, sometimes familiar, pieces sitting forlornly, they look as if they've been neglected/abandoned by their makers. But even the old familiar pieces look happier in the company of newer work, as if they are surrounded by family.

So why I couldn't see my stuff in that light until now, I don't know.  When I see my pieces in galleries, I see individual pieces, and do a mental row call, a head count, but don't see them collectively.  I'm starting to understand the pleasure gallerists show when I (or any other artists) deliver new pieces is not only a reflection of their personal support for artists, but also because they can add more excitement/flavor to their galleries.     

So, in between my slightly-scratchy red warp threading, I made two more cashmere warps.  The colors in this photo is inaccurate, but I couldn't fix it any more; nevertheless, I'm ready.  I doubt I can get started on these until after my trip, but I have renewed enthusiasm form my Bread-and-Butter line, and appreciation for my gallerists.  Bliss!

These two warps will most likely be woven in Log Cabin again, because recently while looking for something else, I came across these collages and thought this method would work great in thinking about Log Cabin colors.